U.S. Arms Sale Rule Changes: No More "First Come, First Served," Experts Analyze: A Means to Coerce Allies

[Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan] On February 6, the U.S. government announced a significant adjustment to its arms sales strategy, changing the priority order of U.S. weapon sales from the decades-old "first come, first served" to prioritizing those with high defense spending and strategic importance. Several experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that this move not only allows military enterprises to earn more profits but also becomes a means to coerce allies. Under this principle, the weapons and equipment most likely to be sold by the U.S. include aircraft first, followed by missiles, and then artillery, tanks, and other army weapons.

On the 6th, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order proposing the establishment of a "U.S. Weapons Priority Transfer Strategy." Under this arms sales strategy, the U.S. will prioritize allies and partners that invest in their own defense capabilities, play important roles in U.S. plans and actions, or contribute to U.S. economic security.

Military expert Zhang Junsha stated on the 9th in an interview with the Global Times that the purpose of the significant adjustment in U.S. arms sales strategy is to implement the "America First" strategy, strengthening its defense industrial base through arms sales, with U.S. interests as the priority. On one hand, through arms sales, the U.S. squeezes the interests of allies, enhancing the "vampiric" capacity of the U.S. military-industrial complex to earn more profits. On the other hand, it stimulates allies to increase their military budgets to 2%-5% of GDP, or even more, making allies act as pawns for U.S. geopolitical strategies.

Zhang Junsha analyzed that although the U.S. arms sales strategy seems to have undergone significant adjustments, one principle remains unchanged— the U.S. will not sell the most advanced weaponry to allies and partners to maintain the technological gap between U.S. weaponry and that of other countries and regions, thus preserving absolute technological superiority, such as the F-22 stealth fighter and the B-2 stealth strategic bomber. "The Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East are likely to be the main directions for U.S. arms sales."

An unnamed military expert stated on the 9th in an interview with the Global Times that under the newly established military trade rules, the principles for the U.S. selling weapons to relevant countries or regions will no longer follow the order of signed contracts but will prioritize U.S. interests. For example, military allies and defense partners that occupy important positions in the U.S. military strategy will receive priority in delivery, and the categories of weapons involved will be broader and the models more advanced.

"The U.S. will prioritize selling high-profit weapons, and there may be more attached conditions during the sales process," the aforementioned expert analyzed. Therefore, many U.S. allies must please the U.S. to gain priority in purchasing weapons, such as increasing military spending or providing more benefits to the U.S. in other cooperative projects, which in turn gives the U.S. more dominance and voice in many affairs.

Military expert Song Zhongping also expressed a similar view in an interview with the Global Times on the 9th. He believes that Trump has taken this opportunity to establish a "reward and punishment" mechanism: obedient countries or allies receive weapons supplies, while disobedient countries or allies are cut off from weapon sources, thus achieving U.S. objectives.

The unnamed military expert cited the F-35 stealth fighter, a star product of U.S. foreign military sales, as an example, stating, "In the process of weapon equipment transactions, the relationship between the U.S. and its allies is completely unequal; the U.S. not only sets the rules but can also change them at any time. For instance, in the specific operation of the F-35 fighter jet project, the U.S. will assess whether partners or allies are obedient and whether they cater to the U.S. on other levels before deciding when to deliver and how many aircraft to deliver."

Song Zhongping analyzed that from a practical operational perspective, the list of involved weaponry may cover a full range of systems, involving land, sea, and air domains.

"From the production capacity of U.S. military enterprises, the weapons most likely to be sold include aircraft first, followed by missiles, and then artillery, tanks, and other army weapons as well as naval-related weapons," Zhang Junsha stated, adding that new types of combat vessels from the U.S. Navy will not be easily sold abroad.

Recently, U.S. defense giant Raytheon signed a framework agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to significantly increase the production capacity of "Tomahawk" cruise missiles (land-attack and sea-attack types), "Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles," and "Standard" series missiles.

In this regard, Song Zhongping stated that the "Patriot" air defense system, "THAAD" missile defense system, and "Standard-3" series interceptors are all equipment that the U.S. is actively expanding in the overseas arms sales market. The AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missile will be listed as a key export model. Additionally, advanced aircraft such as the F-35 and F-15 will also become core models that the U.S. focuses on promoting in the international market.      

Zhang Junsha believes that advanced munitions such as the "Army Tactical Missile" system, various anti-tank missiles, and "Tomahawk" cruise missiles may be the models that the U.S. will promote, along with various types of drones, loitering munitions, main battle tanks, and artillery.